A ‘relative’ perspective

Luca Baiguini cites The Incredibles as an example of our society’s perspective on time management and prioritization.

The word “super” has a Latin etymology: it means “over, above”, and indicates a relative, non-absolute position (to beover entails necessarily that someone or something is below). A Latin proverb says “Beati monoculi in terra caecorum” (monocles are lucky in the land of the blind). This means that a feature seen in one context as a handicap, can turn into an advantage in a different one. The relative level counts — not the absolute one. The same is true for a leader’s messages about time management.

We also find this effect elsewhere. Anyone successful enough to own a car and home has wealth beyond the reach of nearly everyone on the planet. If we don’t think we’re wealthy, it’s because we’re comparing ourselves to the wrong people.